Dominican Republic's north coast to get new cruise port in 2014

Miami-based Carnival Corp. & plc and partners broke ground this week on its $65 million Amber Cove Cruise Center in the Dominican Republic ’s Bay of Maimon near Puerto Plata in the country’s North Coast.

The new cruise facility is scheduled to open in 2014 and represents one of the largest cruise industry investments ever made in the Dominican Republic, Carnival said in a statement.

The 30-acre waterfront property will sport a welcome center with several retail stores, including a marketplace for locally sourced Dominican crafts and souvenirs as well as a range of themed restaurants and bars. It will also feature an water attraction.

A transportation hub at the facility will give cruise visitors easy access by land and sea to surrounding destinations and attractions, Carnival added.

A joint venture with the Rannik family of Grupo B&R, the new two-berth cruise terminal will be able to accommodate up to 8,000 cruise passengers and 2,000 crew members daily. It’s expected to host more than 250,000 cruise passengers in its first year of operation.

The new cruise facility is designed to re-establish the Dominican Republic’s North Coast as a popular cruise destination. Puerto Plata had its last cruise ship call nearly 30 years ago.

“Amber Cove promises to be a spectacular facility that will serve as a gateway for cruise guests to experience the natural beauty and wonder that makes the Dominican Republic such an attractive tourist destination,” said Giora Israel, Carnival Corp.’s senior vice president of global port and destination development.

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